Navy Yard shooting reminds all of gun control loopholes

The tragedy at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard teaches us three lessons:

First, law enforcement has difficulty anticipating an assault by an individual or a small, tight group.

Second, the premise that fortifying schools might protect children took a body blow. At the highly secure Navy Yard, the assailant knew that his first task was to kill armed guards. Gun advocates argue that an armed "internal civilian militia" would have speedily terminated this disaster. More likely, a group of reacting employees would have escalated the chaos.

The third is this reality: Mass murderers are rarely terrorists or typical criminals. The nation suffers because people known to be emotionally unstable can access guns. The fault lies on both ends of the political spectrum. Conservatives resist controls as governmental infringement. Health-care patient advocates resist the exposure of personal information.

Aaron Alexis was paranoid and angry, but he killed many more people than he could have with a baseball bat. As the late Frank Clement said 60 years ago, "How long, America? O, how long?"

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Navy Yard shooting reminds all of gun control loopholes

The tragedy at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard teaches us three lessons: